Combined baggage check and seal.



Patented May 2|, I901.

E. TYDEN. COMBINED BAGGAGE CHECK AND SEAL.

(Application filed Feb. 12, 1900.)

(No Model) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL TYDEN, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED BAGGAGE CHECK AND SEAL.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,526, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed February 12, 1900. Serial No. 4,908. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL TYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at and having post-ofiice address'at Hastings, Barry county, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Baggage Check and Seal, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a combined seal and check for baggage and parcels suitable to be used by transportation companies, express companies, and parceldelivery companies of all sorts for the protection of the carrier in respect to claims for loss of contents of insecurely-closed packages and to avoid the inconvenience of sealing and checking as two separate operations requiring two separate implements or devices.

The invention consists in a seal which constitutes one member of a check-couple to be attached to the baggage or parcel, formed with a detachable counter-check to be given to the party depositing the baggage or parcel, the two members of the check-couple being correspondingly marked to identify them when separated.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a self-locking seal to which my invention is shown applied, the shell being broken away to show the looking device. Fig. 2 is a plan of the blank of which the seal-strap and counter-check are made, details of the structure of the blank interior of the seal body, however, being omitted because not material, the blank being shown, that is to say, merely in outline.

I have shown a self-locking seal of a form which is familiar in the market and which consists of a strip or stem of sheet metal A, having at one end a seal-body into which the other end is adapted to be inserted and in which it becomes engaged when inserted, the loop thus formed inclosing the handles or staples or securing-cord'of the bag, box, or parcel to be protected. It will be understood that any other form of seal might be used without departure from the principal and essential feature of the invention. In thev particular form of seal shown the strip of sheet metal forming the securing-strap has a lateral portion A, which in the construction of the seal is folded upon itself, as seen in the drawings, and as thus folded extended through the seal-body B. I take advantage of this circumstance to form the countercheck 0 upon an extension of the strap of full width of the blank at the part which is thus extended folded through the seal-body. In order to make the counter-check convenient for carrying in the pocket after it is detached from the seal and at the same time make it easy to detach it without the use of a tool, I form the blank as shown in Fig. 2, the portion'whicl1,is to constitute the counter-check being severed from the remainder to the points 0 0 the metal being cut out at c and 0 so as to leave rounded corners c 0 and the line of the cut at the end of the counter-check at the end toward the sealbody being carried inward with respect to the counter-check at 0 the metal being unsevered at the straight line between the points 0 0 but preferably perforated, so that it can easily be broken in the fingers. When thus broken, it will be seen that the entire contour of the check is smooth and free from sharp corners except at the line of perforation and break and that this line is back from the edge, so that it is protected by the protrudingouter portions of that end of the check from contact in handling. The particular manner in which the line of severance or di-' vision between the cut check and the sealstrap is arranged, so as to leave the countercheck symmetrical, is a matter of preference.

Seals of this class and for any purpose of the general nature indicated are usually iden tified by a serial number or other marking, and in order to adapt such seals to serve asone check of a couple it is only necessary that the other or counter-check should be similarly marked, and I have shown, therefore, both the seal-strap and the counter-check as provided with the same serial number. Any other characters desired for identification of the road or company receiving and sealing;

rial to the present invention, I have nevertheless shown in Fig. 1 their general character,

example, Patent No. 594, 580,(lated November 30, 1897. I The engaging device is a ring M, formed by coiling spring-wire until the ends lap, such ring being mounted in the seal-shell B, with its ends spread apart by the sheath, which is formed by folding the portion A of the strap-blank and which has the apertures a a, through which the ends of the wire can enter to engage the slots a in the end of the strap when that end is thrust into the sheath and encountering the ring at m pulls its ends to said apertures.

I claim 1. A self-locking seal, having a detachable part which is not concerned in. or necessary to the locking, said part and the remainder which is concerned in the locking being correspondingly marked or numbered to constitute a check-couple.

2. A sheet-metal combined seal and check, having a counter-check formed as an integral appendage of the seal-strap and detachable therefrom Without destroying the continuity of the latter throughout the loop thereof; said detachable part and the remainder of the strap being correspondingly marked or numbered to constitute a check-couple.

3. Aself-lockingseal, havingasecure-strap and having formed integrally with the strap a detachable piece, such strap and detachable piece being correspondingly marked or numbered, whereby they constitute a checkcouple, and the detachable piece is adapted to serve as a counter-check.

4. A self-locking seal comprising a strap and body adapted to receive and engage the end of the strap; a detachable piece formed integrally with one of said elements of the self-locking seal, at the opposite side of the body from that at which the strap extends, such detachable piece and the seal-strap beingcorrespondingly marked for identification after the piece is detached, whereby the latter is adapted to serve as a counter-check.

5. A self-locking seal, comprising a metal strap,A, having the lateral extension or wing, A, folded upon the strap, and the seal-body, B, encompassing the folded portion, and said strap having, beyond the seal-body, the extension constituting the counter-check, O, perforated at its junction with the remainder of the strap, and marked to correspond with the seal.

6. A sheet-metal combined seal and check, havingacounter-checkformed integrally with the seal-strap and detachable therefrom without destroying the continuity of the latter throughout the loop thereof, said detachable parts making junction with the strap ata reentrant line or curve in the outline of the former.

7. A sheet-metal combined seal and check havinga cou liter-check formed integrally with the seal-strap and partly severed therefrom, the line of severance making rentrant angle or curve with respect to the outline of the check, whereby the line of break is caused to be protected by portions of the check protruding at both ends of such line.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Hastings, Michigan, in the presence of two witnesses, on this 9th day of February, A. D. 1900- EMIL TYDEN.

In presence of- CHESTER Mnssnn, F. W. STEBBINS. 

